Sony has applied for a strange little patent that streamlines the process via which online friends in an MMO can meet up in the real world and become real friends.

It's not doing this out of the kindness of its heart - the "technology" is aimed at getting them together at what sound like marketing events - but it's still an interesting thing to be spending time/money thinking about.

The patent covers the idea that you'd get in-game incentives to go to real-world events. Once there, you could easily meet up with pals as Sony would be promoting "familiarity by providing online titles of other participants at the gathering".

I can't see them ever being granted it, as other people have been doing this for years, but hey, who am I to tell Sony how to spend its money!